By Josie November 14th, 2023
This is the story of Michael Packard, a 56-year-old lobster diver, the man who alleges that he was swallowed by a humpback whale during one of his dives.
On average, they measure about 39 to 52 feet in length and weigh around 40 tons.
Being huge whales, they also have huge mouths, reaching up to approximately 10 feet wide, capable of opening wide to engulf large volumes of water.
Packard’s ordeal started while he was diving for lobsters near Provincetown. He reported being suddenly enclosed by the whale, feeling immense pressure and contortion.
As proof, he points to the photographic evidence of him hanging out of the whale’s mouth.
Somehow he managed to escape without even breaking any bones and only suffered severe bruises. His light injuries are however also what is making people doubt him.
The physical structure of a humpback whale makes it literally impossible for them to swallow a human.
Although their mouths are sizable, their throats are only about the size of a human fist. They can expand to a maximum diameter of 15 inches.
But, even if Packard was “just” momentarily held within the whale’s vast mouth, it’s a traumatic and extraordinary story.